


Looks Like Me

by NotEvenCloseToStraight



Series: Short Stories! [28]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bucky is beautiful, Coming Out, Gender Identity, M/M, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Nonbinary Bucky Barnes, Nonbinary Character, Sam Wilson is a Gift, Sexual Identity, mild flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 13:43:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15864777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotEvenCloseToStraight/pseuds/NotEvenCloseToStraight
Summary: Bucky is Non-Binary and with the help of Natasha and Sam finally is able to look at themselves in the mirror and see who they have always wanted to be.(Tumblr Prompt)





	Looks Like Me

Natasha was the first one to notice that Bucky was wearing a ladies shirt, but in typical Natasha fashion, she didn’t say anything at all about her observation, just snuck looks at him from her peripheral, and watched the rest of the team with eagle eyes to see if they noticed. 

And the rest of the team, in typical early-morning-after-movie-night-fashion was too hungover to notice, and even if they did notice, no one’s mouth worked before doses of coffee, so no one said anything either. 

And Bucky sat and munched his breakfast in a bright white woman’s button up that pulled too tight over his shoulders and looked uncomfortable, and  _he_ looked uncomfortable but he also looked sort of…happy. And maybe even less tense than he did most mornings, so Natasha decided she would say one thing, and one thing only::

“They make slim fit dress shirts in gender neutral colors.” she said quietly as she passed on her way to put her plate in the sink. “If that is something you are interested in. I could help, if you want.” 

Bucky glanced up, then glanced away, fidgeting at his shirt and obviously trying to come up with a reply, and Natasha shook her head so he wouldn’t feel like he had to answer and loudly asked, “I need a ride to the mall today. Who’s driving me?” 

“Eighteen cars in the garage, Nat.” Tony said tiredly, face smooshed into Steve’s shoulder. “Just take one.” 

“You know damn well you don’t let me drive your cars.” she said calmly. “Alright then, who is the least hung over?” 

Steve raised his hand, then pointed sheepishly at Tony on his lap and shrugged. 

“Looks like its gotta be you.” Natasha looked back over at Bucky. “Only if  _you_ want, though.” 

He only nodded, and she smiled before motioning him out the door.

******************

******************

“This fits better.” Natasha said, smoothing the shirt over Bucky’s back and down his arms before smiling into the mirror in her bathroom. “And the blue is  _beautiful_ on you.” 

“Thanks.” he said quietly, a tiny  _tiny_ pleased smile on his face. “Feels better.” 

“Would you like some help with your hair?” she motioned to the dark hair that fell past Bucky’s shoulders. “Is it another way to express–” a glance down his body.” Yeah?” 

“Uh, yeah.” Bucky brushed his hair out his eyes self consciously. “Figured it was a safe way to show it without actually showing it?” 

“And what is  _it_?” Natasha started picking through her hair clips and ties for anything that wasn’t black. She definitely didn’t own sparkly things, they would have to ask Pepper for that, but she at least had colorful hair ties and wooden combs he could use to pin it back. 

“Nonbinary.” Bucky said instantly, confidently. “Genderfluid.” At Natasha’s raised eyebrow, he flushed. “Had a lotta time to figure it out.” he mumbled and she smiled in understanding. 

“So.” Natasha waited for a nod of permission before she started playing with Bucky’s hair, weaving tiny braids up by his forehead. “Neither boy nor girl.” 

“Sure.” 

“But someday’s you want to be a little more feminine and other days not? Or more masculine? Right?” 

“…sure.” 

“Was that not right?” She tied off one little braid and started on another. “Tell me what it means for you.” 

“No, no that was fine.” Bucky assured her. “I just um– I never thought to explain it to anyone. Specially not you.” 

“Especially not me.” Natasha clipped the braids behind his ear, pinning them with a yellow flower clip. “Why not?” 

“Because you’re…”

“A bitch?” Natasha kept combing at his hair. “Yeah, yeah I am. But this sort of thing– everyone has the right to be who they need to be. I can’t be anything but supportive about it.” 

Her tone softened and she added. “Especially because people like you and I were forced to be someone we didn’t  _want_ to be for so long.” 

Bucky’s eyes shadowed with pain and memories. “Yeah.” 

It had been hard enough before the war, knowing he was different and not being able to be true to how he felt. It was worse now, with his arm, with the super soldier serum. He had been forcefully transformed into someone and something undeniable  _male_ , and he felt farther away from who he really was every single day. 

But this helped. 

This helped a lot. 

They were quiet for a few minutes, Natasha working at his hair, Bucky unable to look away from the pile of make up on the sink, mascara and blush and several items he didn’t even recognize. 

“I hate to admit it–” Natasha didn’t look up from his hair. “–but I am awful at makeup. Mascara is about all I can handle. Sam actually does my fancy make up for me.”

“ _Sam_?!” Bucky blurted. “Are you serious?” 

“Yep.” Nat smirked at him. “He said something about growing up in a house full of women, and having to help with prom make up. I don’t know. But he’s good at it.” 

“With me?” Bucky’s hand twitched towards the tube of bright red lipstick. “You think?” 

“I think he’d be great with you.” she answered, then rolled a different lipstick towards him, “Try the matte one. Gloss is  _awfully_ noticeable, and if you are still a little gun-shy, matte can tend to look a little more natural. If you want.” 

“…thanks. This is–” Bucky took a deep breath. “–easier than I thought it would be.” 

“Hair up or down?” Natasha brushed off his thank you. “Or halfway?” 

“Halfway.” Bucky decided, and Natasha went to work. 

********************

********************

“So my baby sis walks out the door looking like a damn clown.” Sam dabbed a hint of blush onto Bucky’s cheeks, just a bare brush of his fingers. “Got bright blue glitter on her eyes, lip liner that looked like a drunk had drawn it on. False eye lashes just a  _mess_.” 

“I told her to get her butt back inside that room and not come out until she looked thirteen again and she started crying. Blink for me. Blink blink blink.” he held the clear mascara brush to Bucky’s eyelashes. “Thanks. Alright, so I told her not to come out until she looks her age. She bursts into tears. There is glitter everywhere, fake lashes falling off, smears her cheap lipstick across her face– just terrible. Just  _terrible_.” 

He handed Bucky a pale pink matte lip crayon and Natasha held up the mirror so Bucky could see. 

“Lip crayon is longer wear color.” He explained, and then went back to his story. “So I felt bad about making her cry, and told her I’d help her. I had to help my older sisters, no reason I couldn’t help her either. I didn’t like her wearing make up at  _thirteen_ but at least she didn’t look like an extra in a horror film anymore.” 

“A living legend.” Natasha grinned and Sam rolled his eyes at her. “Such a gentleman.” 

“How do  _you_ feel, Buck?” Sam asked and Bucky stared at his reflection in the mirror. 

He wasn’t even wearing all that much makeup.  A little blush, clear mascara to make his lashes longer. The nude gloss made his lips pretty but not.. not too much. And his hair was beautiful, thanks to Natasha. 

He looked like  _him_. 

 _Finally_. 

“I feel, um–” he swallowed hard. “Like me? Like my outside matches… me. Thank you.” 

Before Sam or Natasha could say anything at all, Clint wandered into Natasha’s room, not even glancing at them twice as he went right for the not-so-hidden stash of chocolate that Nat kept in the top drawer of her dresser. 

“Sup kids?” he threw over his shoulder, grabbing whole handfuls of Kit Kat’s and several Almond Joy’s. “How’s tricks?”

“ _Knock_ , dammit!” Natasha threw a curling iron at him and the archer snatched it right out of the air with a  _yeah right_  look on his face. 

“Nat. A curling iron? Please. At least give me a challenge. Also, I’m hungover as shit, so don’t be stingy with the post- movie night chocolate. And another thing–” 

He shot a closer look at Bucky, then struck what was undeniably the  _Clint Barton About To Drop A Pick Up Line Pose_. “And another thing, introduce me to your pretty friend. Maybe tell him–”

“– _them_!” Bucky interrupted, and when Nat and Sam looked down he added, "I don't mind male pronouns, but if you think about it? Could you use they/them?" 

Clint didn’t even skip a beat. “Maybe tell  _them_ we should go get some coffee sometime soon.” 

“Yeah?” Bucky touched the flower in their ear hesitantly. “You think?” 

“If you want.” Clint tore the wrapper off a Kit Kat and shoved the whole thing in his mouth, looking Bucky over with an increasingly interested expression as he chewed. “I mean, we probably should’a done it like months ago, but now’s good huh? When you’re all prettied up? Seems like a shame to waste an outfit.” 

“Um–” 

“Can I make a request though?” Another Kit Kat. “Can we keep the heels to like, less than three inches? I don’t want to be  _that_ guy, but you’re already a good four inches taller than me or something.” 

“Don’t you tell them how to dress.” Sam scoffed. “Can’t help it you’re half sized.” 

“When I’m more awake, I’m gonna kick your ass for that.” 

*******************

*******************

_**From Bucky** : So. Coffee? Or were you joking?_

_**From Clint** : I don’t joke about pizza, coffee or people I want to kiss._

_**From Clint** : I don’t know much about this sort of thing… but I was informed on point of death that I needed to make sure I used correct pronouns? and the right name. Can I have those ahead of time so I don’t sound like a jackass on our date?_

_**From Bucky** : Them is fine. They. And I don’t have a new name? Yet, I guess. Bucky is fine. That's who I am._

_**From Clint** : Can I call you babe?_

_**From Bucky** :…yeah_

_**From Clint** : Babe. Looking forward to our date. _

_**From Babe** : Me too_


End file.
